Black Womayn (self-identifying women) drive the exponential increase of total Black spending power, which is projected to be $1.5 trillion by 2021. Yet in the past year companies and organizations have struggled to create inclusive and culturally responsive marketing strategies that appeal to Black womayn consumers. According to African-American Women: Our Science, Her Magic, a Nielsen report, the number of businesses, majority-owned by Black womayn, grew 67% between 2007 and 2012, more than all womayn combined. Relatively young womayn averaging an age of 35.1 years-old (versus 42.8 for non-Hispanic White women and 39.4 for all women), Black womayn have enjoyed steady growth in population, income, and educational attainment. Sixty-four percent of Black womayn enrolled in college right out of high school, and 23% over the age of 25, have a bachelor’s degree or higher (up from 18% in 2005). The varying perceptions and needs of Black womayn are increasingly shaping the way womayn of all backgrounds see themselves.

This session will address how businesses and organizations can create needs-responsive media strategies for Black womayn, how to stop perpetuating stereotypes of Black womayn within branding and marketing, and identify various ways to have conscious, mindful, and socially appreciated branding and marketing by Black womayn, for Black womayn, and their communities.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]